January 10-13, 2020 - Arrived in South America

Big news! On January 12 I was in French Guyana which means a new country.

I'll be posting some witty comments later but in the meantime here are some pictures.

January 5-8, 2020 - Sea Days Tend To Be A Blur

You're probably anxious to hear my every thought and move during those sea days.  Or not.  I'll spare you since there will be about 2 months worth of sea days on this cruise.

Instead, here's a rough overview of how I spend my time at sea.

I get up.  Sometimes early, sometimes as late as 7.  My body, annoyingly, doesn't like to sleep in no matter how late we've been up the night before.

I eat something.  I have options!  Dining room, room service and the Lido, which is a buffet.  My breakfasts so far have been just yogurt and fruit except for the one day when I enjoyed room service eggs, bacon, etc.

I wander around.  One morning I played Uno for a couple of hours with a lovely couple.

I wander around some more.  Inside, outside.  Sometimes I sit and stare at the water.  One of my favorite places for that is the Crow's Nest.  Quiet except for some soft music and an occasional conversation in quiet tones.  Leather chairs with ottomans in front of windows that look out the front of the ship.  Yes, I'm aware there's a nautical term for that but hate to show off.    Mary Lou Basham, I thought of you as I sat and watched the sea and clouds for a couple of hours.

I wander around some more.  Now it's probably time for lunch.  I've been doing that in the Lido but would will probably try the dining room (MDR) tomorrow.  Lunch tends to be light, since I also enjoy tea at 3.

Then I wander.  Sometimes I enjoy a cocktail at the 4:30 happy hour along with the hot hors d'oeuvres that they hand out.  Just like at home.

Then I wander.  Throughout the day and into the evening there is live music around the ship, ranging from dance music, oldies and classical.  So
Yesterday I went to the Wajang theatre for a movie.  Movie seats, very comfy and the movie "Blinded By the Light" was great.  But I have a complaint.  I was told they offered popcorn.  No one brought me any.  As I left, I saw theater style boxes of popcorn.  They expected me to pick it up and carry it to my seat????  The decline in service is appalling.  (For those of you who don't know me, that was sarcasm).

After a day of wandering, I either skip dinner or head to the Lido.  I'll be doing the MDR too, but just haven't gotten there yet.  The Lido serves the same menu as the MDR, including surf and turf, which is nice.

There are shows available.

January 9, 2020 - Lunch in St. Lucia

I was excited about going to St. Lucia for two reasons. First, I spent some time there about 22 years ago and I wanted to see how it had changed.

Second, and more importantly was the chance to spend time with Dale Withington who was my Country Director in Peace Corps Samoa.

What a fun three hours! We caught up on what we've been up to in the last 8 years, current events and future plans. If not for his work and my ship waiting we could have stayed much longer.

It was a treat to take the 30 minute taxi ride around the coast. Not surprising but it is so much bigger and more developed. Good for the economy but a bit sad to see.

Still a beautiful island with gorgeous beaches.

January 5, 2020 - I Have New Friends!

I’m not sure where the day went today.  After dawdling in my cabin
and leisurely dressing, I went to the Lido for breakfast.  At 8:00 a.m. I expected
a crowd but had no problem finding a table. I opted for some yogurt topped
with granola.  The eggs Benedict station did call out to me but I resisted. I
made a small plate of cheese and pickled herring, smoked salmon and
crudite to put in my ‘fridge.  

While I was enjoying my yogurt a lady joined me at my table.  We talked and
after a couple of minutes she said “You’re the lady my husband talked to last
night at the Sea View while the other ships were leaving.  He told me about
you and said you were really interesting.”

I’m looking forward to spending some time with both of them.  If only I could
remember their names.

Next, I did a lot of wandering around the ship.  I spent some time in the
spa and gym, getting information about treatment options.  I love having
regular massages but am spoiled by having a place near my home with great
massage therapists.  An hour massage is $39. On the ship, a
50 minute massage is $129. If I’m going to blow money I think I’ll save i
t to charter a helicopter in the Maldives.

During my wanderings I came upon the Sports Bar which has several giant
TV screens and they were showing the NFL Wild Card games.  I spent a few
hours watching, cheering and being very sad about the NOLA loss. And, during
commercials, met several more interesting people. 

I consider myself well traveled. I’ve been to over 80 countries and six continents.
But compared to many of my fellow cruisers, I’m a newby. Fascinating to hear
the stories of others’ travels.  And how others are choosing to spend their retirement
years. One elderly man I watched football with speaks seven languages and is
currently learning an Indonesian language so he can talk to
the Indonesian crew.

I skipped lunch so went back to my cabin about 7 p.m. to enjoy the fish,
cheese and crudites I’d stashed in my ‘fridge.  I enjoyed that while watching more football.  

After a couple of hours in bed with Mr. Kindle, I slept again like a floating rock.

January 4, 2020 - I'M ON A CRUISE!

The routine for boarding a ship is pretty much the same, in my experience,
regardless of which cruise line you sail on.  It’s pretty similar to arriving at an
airport and boarding a plane.

First, I waited in line to get into the cruise terminal.  Then I waited in line to be
allowed to get in the line to check in.  Then I went through security, much as a
TSA check at an airport. Then I waited in line to check in.  Then I sat comfortably
and waited to be allowed on the ship. Heidi dropped me off about 9:45 a.m. and I was
on the ship by about 11:45.  Some (including a lot of the priority cruisers) were
waiting in line much longer than two hours. I’m not sure why but I know that the
charming 12 year old boy  (ok, he was probably 20) who checked me in was friendly
and trying his hardest but it was his first day. I’m not sure why, on their most expensive
product, check in was less pleasant and organized than any other cruise I’ve been on.

I was in Boarding Group 1 (just behind the “priority” passengers who’ve spent
way more money on Holland America.)  Ironically, there were about 800 of the
priority passengers (people booked in suites and 4 Star Mariner and above) and
only 400 of us nobodies.  In this case, because the priority lines were so long, us
peons in group one got on before a lot of them.

I would like to commend Sue, the tiny spitfire of a woman responsible for separating
the wheat from the chaff as we prepared to board.  Or, in this case, open the rope
to allow the priorty passengers to head up an elevator to another waiting area.
Problems arose when some of the priority people weren’t given priority passes
when checking in.  Poor Sue took the brunt of the anger when the priorities
realized they were waiting with us peons. She also did a splendid job of
handling a fellow peon who took exception to having to wait to board.
After Sue politely explained we had to wait for the cabins to be cleaned he still
wasn’t happy.  Heidi would have given him a shot of Tequila.

Personally, I’m dying to know what was different in their waiting room.  We had
helpful crew passing out cookies, water and lemonade. I envision
passengers on chaise lounges with scantily clad young people feeding them grapes.

Once on board I easily found my cabin.  I’d been given a complimentary
upgrade from Cat. F (oceanview on deck 1 in either the front or back of ship). 
I am in cabin 1866 which is almost dead center on deck 1. The cabins are
identical but because I’m in the middle of the ship it is much quieter during
docking/leaving port and more stable so I don’t feel as much motion during rough seas.

I spent the next couple of hours wandering around the ship.  She is a bit worn
and showing the wear and tear of 20 years of service.  It seems a bit odd to
me that HAL chose to put the ship in drydock for refurbishment after the world
cruise instead of before.  In conversations today, it seems I’m not the only
one wondering about that.

At 3:30 p.m.  we had the obligatory life boat drill.  I hate them. I understand
their importance but starting a cruise by standing in close quarters in the heat
and sun is not my idea of how to get a vacation underway.  

Today was worse than usual.  They scan your key card to ensure that everyone
is present.  Apparently the scanners weren’t working correctly so we spent
over 15 minutes standing in a clump while they shouted cabin numbers
that hadn’t been properly scanned so they could be rescanned.  Then the
captain and cruise director came on and very, very slowly read the safety
information. The drill took over 25 minutes. During the process one woman
fainted and several elderly people near me were barely able to stand.

After the drill I headed to my cabin.  Happily, all three of my bags were in
my cabin and I unpacked.  Traveling alone on a cruise is expensive but on the
bright side, I have tons of storage space.  I have one closet with nothing in it.
I may consider renting it out to the people with 17 bags.

Sail away on the last two cruises was no big deal.  They had drink specials in
the Lido. Big deal. I was excited to see the preparations for our sail away. 
Crew were setting up cocktail tables in the Lido and lots of tables covered
with glasses of champagne, orange juice and mimosas.  A band was
setting up to provide live music. Even though sail away was scheduled
for 5 p.m., the free champagne began to flow at about 2:30 p.m.

After enjoying a burger and fries from the Dive In, I wandered around the ship. 
Just before our scheduled departure I headed back up to the pool area
at the very back of the ship.  It was a lovely evening to watch the other
six ships head out.

The captain came on the loud speaker to announce that because
they were still loading luggage and provisions we’d be leaving
late - between 7 and 8:00.  We ended up sailing away at 7:40.

I had a quiet evening watching football in my cabin then slept
like a rock.  A floating rock.

January 3, 2020 - Are We There Yet?

Have you ever taken a 4 ½ month vacation?  It takes a bit of planning.
Packing, of course.  But other things. How will I pay the couple of bills
that I don’t pay electronically?  Who will put water in the pool if it gets low?
Who will let the pest guy in? Should I cancel Netflix or keep it for guests
who use the house while I’m gone?

I won’t bore you with all the minutia.  There are lots of websites that help
people who shut down their lives in one location for several months at a time. 
Lots of people do it. We see them every fall in Florida...all those Ontario,
Michigan and other license plates of places where winters are less fun than
Orlando.

Bottom line, it takes planning.  Which means lists. I had packing lists,
to do lists, shopping lists.  Plus, I had almost two years from the
time I booked the cruise to January 4, 2020, the day the cruise
started in Fort Lauderdale.

I had ample time and skills to be prepared well ahead of time. 
But I wasn’t getting anything done. At first I thought it was the normal
packing procrastination.  But as months and weeks went on and I was
making little progress I finally realized what was happening.  

I was cruising through daily life, knowing in the back of my mind that
I was going on an adventure of a lifetime.  It made me smile when I
thought about it.  

But every time I picked up one of “The Lists” I got excited.   It brought
the whole “I’M GOING ON A CRUISE!” thing to front of mind. 
That phrase, BTW, in my mind is always in all caps or screamed at top
volume by the little voice in my head.  By avoiding preparing, I was also
avoiding levels of excitement that made me a bit stressed.

I am proud to say that I was 95% packed and ready by December 31 when
my friend Heidi arrived from Virgina.  She and her pooch Charlie drove
down so they could spend a few days then drive me down to Ft. Lauderdale.

***A side note for those of you reading this because you may be planning
to go on a world cruise.  I booked through Cruise Specialists. One of the
perks that came with booking was shipping luggage from my house to the ship. 
How wonderful would that be? Someone comes to your door and you
don’t see those giant bags again until you’re on the ship. But they didn’t
warn me that luggage pickup, for a cruise that leaves Jan 4, 2020 is in late
November.  I don’t know about you but I don’t own a “cruise wardrobe” so
that didn’t work for me. It seems the Lake Mary Police have rules about
public nudity and they don’t care that I’M GOING ON A CRUISE.
Bottom line, I schlepped my bags like I usually do.

Heidi may have felt she owed me.  She had some major surgery a
couple of years ago and I spent that Christmas and New Year’s as
her caretaker, or as she called me, her Rescue Squirrel.  That was
easy for me. It wasn’t my pain and she was on lots of drugs so was
very agreeable.

She probably wished she had some of those drugs for me in the last
couple days leading up to January 3 and driving to Ft. Lauderdale. 
I was perhaps a tiny bit less pleasant than I should have been. You know
how you feel when you get hangry? It was like that. Or PMS, as I recall,
since it’s been awhile since my ovaries saw any action.  Sorry, Heidi.  

My long time tradition is to start and end every vacation with a shot of Tequila.  
Typically that would happen when I boarded the ship. Heidi encouraged a
shot before we started our drive to Ft. Lauderdale.  I believe she probably
would have preferred enough Tequila so I’d pass out on the drive, but no
such luck for her. At that point I was no longer fretting about “Did I pack
my favorite black blouse?”  “Did I remember to have somebody drive my
car every week?” Once in the car I counted on the efficacy of my lists and
the kindness of friends. Instead, I was just excited about what I’d be doing
on the cruise.  So I talked. And talked. I told Heidi it was a 4 hour drive.
She swears it took at least 18 hours. Sorry, Heidi.

Another perk from Cruise Specialists was a free hotel room, cocktail
party/dinner with the President of Holland America and then a bus to
the ship the following morning.  I opted out of the dinner and speeches
but heard it was lovely.

After dinner in Ft. Lauderdale Heidi dropped me at the Renaissance
Plantation Hotel about 10 miles from the port. The lobby was filled with
people who had to be fellow cruisers.  Older (or ancient), well-dressed and excited.  

 I spent a relaxing evening watching “Below Decks” on Bravo while
levitating about six inches over the bed due to excitement.  My Fitbit
notified me the next morning that I had far exceeded “awake time” for
women my age. Seriously, Fitbit, do you know how hard it is to sleep
when the bitch in my head is screaming “I’M GOING ON A CRUISE”.

Rather than taking the bus to the ship with a few hundred other cruisers
who had booked through Cruise Specialists, Heidi was kind enough to
take me.  Clearly, Heidi is a glutton for punishment.

After a quick drive to the Port, with me screaming “I’M GOING ON A CRUISE”
the whole way, Heidi dropped me off and a porter took my luggage.  I give Heidi
props for not peeling rubber as she left. Happily, she had a silent, relaxing
drive back to Lake Mary and is now relaxing in my house.  And hopefully
remembering to add water to the pool occasionally.

A Bit of Context

NOTE: Due to a technical glitch, all posts must be done in limited port time.
Please excuse typos, bad photos, etc. When I have time, I'll go back
and organize and clean things up. Any thoughts you consider idiotic
are mine and are unlikely to change.

I don’t typically make a big deal out of my birthday.  Except on decades. When
I turned 50 I went on a Holland America world cruise on the Rotterdam. 
When I turned 60 I joined the Peace Corps and served two years
teaching English in a village in Samoa, in the South Pacific.  

As I contemplated turning 70, I figured I’d do either another world cruise
or rejoin  Peace Corps. But Peace Corps is hard. I talked to my financial
guy about the cruise and he pointed out that since I am unlikely to live
forever it would be fine for me to pry my fingers off some of my money
and go on another world cruise.  That, combined with an amazing southern
hemisphere centric itinerary convinced me.

After putting a refundable deposit down on the world cruise, I decided to do a
shorter Holland America cruise.  It had been more than 10 years since I’d
cruised on HAL and I wanted to make sure it was as good as I remembered.

After taking two repositioning cruises in 2019 (Ft. Lauderdale to Copenhagen
and Vancouver to Tokyo) I noticed differences but decided to go ahead
with the cruise.  As I make observations about my time on the
2020 World Cruise, please know that in my head I’ll be (consciously or not)
comparing it to my experience on the Rotterdam in 2001.

*** A repositioning cruise is usually one of the best values you can
get in cruising.  Ships spend seasons in different locations.
For example, many ships spend the winter in the Caribbean and
the summer in the Mediterranean.  They have to move, twice a year,
to the new location. Prices for those cruises, in a balcony cabin, are
frequently less than $150 a day for a couple (or single passenger). 
I paid about $137 a day fro the Vancouver-Tokyo cruise. Prices jumped to
over $350 a day for the Asian cruise out of Tokyo.

What I’ll be writing are my observations and my reactions.  And sometimes
bitchy comments. Sometimes funny. I have no agenda other than to
record memories of what will hopefully be one of the highlights of my life.